Deone Bucannon

Bucannon has been a solid contributor to Arizona's defense, averaging just over 95 tackles in his first three seasons. Last year, Bucannon was on track to match his career-high 112 tackles from 2015, ...

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Monday that the ankle injury Bucannon suffered in Sunday's win over the Jaguars may not be as severe as the team initially thought, Kyle Odegard of the Cardinals' official site reports.

He would probably play safety for any other team, but Arizona's innovative scheme carved out a hybrid inside linebacker spot for Bucannon, who proved highly effective in that role. Playing 995 snaps, Bucannon finished 2015 with 112 tackles (93 solo), three sacks and an interception. His lack of size (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) likely precludes the possibility of a tackle total above the 130 mark, but Bucannnon's defensive back athleticism and ballhawking skills give him unmatched upside in coverage, and five sacks in two years prove his effectiveness as a blitzer.

2015

A 2014 first-round pick, Bucannon turned in a promising IDP rookie campaign last year. He split time at strong safety with Tony Jefferson but often played a linebacker-type role because of injuries to the Cardinals' defense. That allowed him to pile up 83 tackles on just 692 snaps. Bucannon's ability to pass for a linebacker bodes well for his tackle production, especially since he's likely to play significantly more snaps this season. At 6-1, 208, with sub-4.5 speed and 15 interceptions as a collegian at Washington State, Bucannon could be a standout source of interceptions, too.

2014

At the midpoint of the preseason, Bucannon has yet to surpass second-year pro Tony Jefferson for the strong safety gig, but Tyrann Mathieu will be eased into action due to last December's knee ligament tears, ensuring a decent snap count as his rookie campaign commences. Bucannon, who is well-built at 6-1, 211 with 4.49 wheels and excellent jumping ability, couldn't have been much more productive than he was as a four-year starter at Washington State. He finished his career with 383 tackles in 49 games, good for an average of 7.8 tackles per contest. He also intercepted 15 passes in that span. As a fierce run defender with the ball skills to make plays in coverage, Bucannon has star potential as an IDP.